Methods for the preparation of mercury and osmium samples suitable for ion microprobe measurements

Using radiotracer solutions of Hg (²⁰³Hg) and Os (¹⁸⁵Os), techniques have been developed for sampling these elements presumably suitable for ion probe measurements. Mercury has been electrodeposited on the cross-sectional area (5 mm²) of an electrochemically pure Cu wire giving a recovery 25 to 30% at the tip. Similar efficiency is found for Hg distillate solutions. Osmium has been collected in a Ni–NiS bead after loading its thiourea complex solution on filter paper. The recovery in the bead is 80–90%. These methods should be of help for isotopic study of these elements by ion microprobe. The suitability of these samples for measurements remains unconfirmed.     

Radioactive tracer study of adsorption and exchange reaction of lead ion selective electrode membrane

Summary The amount of adsorption and exchange of lead on the electrode membrane as a function of time was correlated to the potential measurement stability. The adsorption and exchange of lead in various organic solvents tend to be increased relating to the increase in the dielectric constant of solvents. Removal of O₂ and CO₂ and addition of methanol and formaldehyde are very effective means to improve the potential stability. The behavior of lead ISE exposed to solutions containing lead and other interfering ions was also studied.

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Radiochemische Untersuchung der Adsorptions- und Austauschreaktionen bleiionenspezifischer Elektroden

Zusammenfassung Adsorption und Austausch von Blei an der Elektrodenmembran als Funktion der Zeit wurden zur Stabilität der Potentialmessung in Beziehung gesetzt. In verschiedenen organischen Lösungsmitteln steigen Adsorption und Austausch mit der Dielektrizitätskonstante an. Die Entfernung von O₂ und CO₂ sowie der Zusatz von Methanol und Formaldehyd verbessern die Stabilität des Potentials. Das Verhalten von bleiionenspezifischen Elektroden gegenüber Lösungen, die Blei und andere störende Ionen enthalten, wurde untersucht.

     

Siderophore production by a marine Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its antagonistic action against phytopathogenic fungi

A marine isolate of fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. having the ability to produce the pyoverdine type of siderophores under low iron stress (up to 10 μM iron in the succinate medium) was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using BIOLOG Breathprint and siderotyping. Pyoverdine production was optimum at 0.2% (w/v) succinate, pH 6.0, in an iron-deficient medium. Studies carried out in vitro revealed that purified siderophores and Pseudomonas culture have good antifungal activity against the plant deleterious fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus oryzae, Fusarium oxysporum, and Sclerotium rolfsii. Siderophore-based maximum inhibition was observed against A. niger. These in vitro antagonistic actions of marine Pseudomonas against phytopathogens suggest the potential of the organism to serve as a biocontrol agent.     

Interaction of azide ion with hemin and cytochrome c immobilized on Au and Ag nanoparticles

This paper presents a set of investigations on the binding of a metabolic inhibitor, azide with prosthetic heme group of biomolecules, hemin chloride (Hem) and cytochrome c (Cyt c) immobilized on Au and Ag nanoparticles. A variety of spectroscopic tools have been used to understand the chemistry occurring on the nanoparticle surface. While the nature of binding of the model system, hemin has been investigated by UV-visible, fluorescence, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopies, the azide binding has been studied in detail by MALDI-TOF MS. Hemin binding on the nanoparticle surface occurs through the carboxylic acid groups. The hemin-N(3) adduct on the nanoparticle surface has been detected by mass spectrometry and its fragments have been studied by post source decay analysis. The chemistry of hemin on the nanoparticle surface has been compared with that of the protein, Cyt c. Azide binding of Cyt c requires thermal activation due to reduced accessibility of the heme center, unlike in the case of hemin. The binding chemistry is similar for free Cyt c and Cyt c bound to the nanoparticles.     

Theoretical study of 3d‐metal mononitrides using DFT method

3d‐Metal mononitrides are studied using the density functional theory method. The lowest spin state for these dimers is obtained using the B3LYP hybrid functional with the 6‐311+G* basis set. The equilibrium geometries, vibrational frequencies, binding energies, Mulliken, and natural orbital population analysis charges, natural orbital electronic configuration, electron affinity, and ionization potential are obtained. Mulliken as well as natural orbital population analysis charges indicate that for all dimers, in cations most of the positive charge localized on the transition metal atom where in anions most of the negative charge localized on nitrogen atom. The binding energies for 3d‐metal mononitrides are higher than those for monocarbides and monoxides. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Ciprofloxacin-protected gold nanoparticles

The antibacterial drug ciprofloxacin (cfH) has been used to protect gold nanoparticles of two different mean diameters, 4 and 20 nm. The protection is complete with about 65 and 585 cfH molecules covering 4 and 15 nm particles, respectively. The nature of binding has been investigated by several analytical techniques. The nitrogen atom of the NH moiety of piperazine group binds on the gold surface, as revealed by voltammetric and spectroscopic studies. The cfH-adsorbed particles are stable in the dry state as well as at room temperature, and as a result, redispersion is possible. The rate of release of the drug molecule from the nanoparticles is more in the basic medium than in pure water, and the kinetics depend on the size of the particle; faster desorption is seen in smaller particles. The bound cfH is fluorescent, and this property could be used in biological investigations. This study shows that metal nanoparticles could be useful carriers for cfH and fluoroquinolone molecules. Most of the bound molecules could be released over an extended period of time.     

Diacetylenic Derivatives of Fe2(CO)6(μ-EE′): Spectroscopic Investigations of Fe2(CO)6{μ-EC(H) = C(C≡ CMe)E′} (E = E′, E ≠ E′; E, E′ = S, Se, Te)

The diacetylenic adducts, Fe₂(CO)₆{-EC(H) = C(C CMe)E} (E = E, E E; E, E = S, Se, Te) (1–8) have been obtained from the room temperature stirring of Fe₂(CO)₆(-EE) with HC CC CMe in methanol solvent containing sodium acetate. Compounds 1–8 have been characterized by IR and multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ⁷⁷Se, and ^l25Te) spectroscopy. Trends in the chemical shifts of ⁷⁷Se and ¹²⁵Te NMR spectra of Fe₂(CO)₆{-EC(H) = C(C CMe)E} with a variation of EE are discussed.     

Quinazolines and 1,4-benzodiazepines. LXI. Syntheses of 7-Acetyl-1,4-benzodiazepines

Methods for the synthesis of the biologically active 7-acetyl-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one ( 6 ) are described. This includes two new methods for the preparation of 5-acetyl-2-aminobenzophenone ( 4 ). The crucial steps in these syntheses involve, respectively, the oxidation of an ethyl group to an acetyl group with permanganate or ceric ions ( 2 → 3; 5 → 6 ), the selective reaction of methyl lithium with the cyano group of 7-cyano-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one ( 8 ) and the efficient condensation of benzyl cyanide with the ethylene ketal of p-nitroacetophenone to form the anthranil 11 .     

Temperature Dependent Dielectric Relaxation in Solvent Mixtures at Microwave Frequencies

By the use of time domain reflectometry method, dielectric measurements were carried out on dimethylformamide‐2‐nitrotoluene solvent mixtures in the frequency range 10 MHz‐20 GHz, at various temperatures from 15 °C to 45 °C. These solvent mixtures as well as pure solvents display a Debye type dispersion. Their frequency dependent dielectric properties can be summarized by the three parameters in the Debye equation: a static permittivity, permittivity at high frequency and a dielectric relaxation time constant. The free energy of activation for dipolar relaxation process and the Kirkwood correlation factor were determined using these fitting parameters for these solvent mixtures at various concentrations and temperatures. By using these dielectric parameters, the excess permittivity and excess inverse relaxation time is obtained. The excess permittivity is found to be positive for all concentrations and temperatures whereas the excess inverse relaxation time is negative.